Karius: Realized the true meaning of professionalism at Liverpool; may retire at Schalke

Hupu reported on November 19 that German media Bild had an exclusive interview with German second division Schalke 04 goalkeeper Karius.

Mr. Karius, Schalke 04 is currently ranked second - suddenly, the dream of promotion begins. When you talk to your teammates, they all compliment you on your leadership in the locker room. How do you lead by example?

Of course it mainly depends on my performance. Of course, I have accumulated a lot of experience in my career and I hope to be a role model for young players. In some cases, they can look to me for guidance, and it's my job to put them at ease.

As an experienced player, it is crucial to demonstrate the necessary sense of responsibility. I remember my youth: back then... a lot of things came easily to me. Maybe talking to them more at that time would have helped me.

What do you mean?

I probably trained more back then. For me, I was in good shape during those years, so maybe the training volume was a little less than before.

Now I spend much more time on physical training than before. Especially during my time at Liverpool, I truly understood the true meaning of professionalism. Players' lives revolve around success. The weight room is packed before and after every practice. The atmosphere is very motivating.

What are you doing more now than before?

I took full advantage of all the resources here. I often arrive early before training to do some warm-up exercises and receive treatment from the physiotherapist. After training, I also go to the weight room.

I heard that you helped Nico Schlotterbeck build his biceps when he was playing for Union Berlin?

Let’s put it this way: I came up with the original idea (laughs). We play together at Union Berlin in the 2020/2021 season. Schloti was still young and almost skinny.

One time, I found him and said, "Come on, let's train under my guidance two to three times a week!" He readily accepted and saw results soon. And he has maintained this training intensity.

You played for Liverpool under coach Jurgen. What qualities do you think Klopp has in your current coach Milon Muslic (it is worth mentioning that he is the one who led Plymouth to defeat Liverpool in the Cup)?

Unlike Klopp, Milon was not familiar with the public when he first arrived in the summer, so he must earn his current status on his own. He has to impress our players from day one, especially after last season's downturn and disappointment.

He did it successfully. What he has in common with Klopp is that he is very clear, direct and demanding. And he's not shy about criticizing players. But the next day it would all be gone and he would be joking with you. So does Klopp.

When you joined Schalke 04 in January 2025, you had been unemployed for six months. What do you think of that time?

I have played for several wealthy clubs before (the most recent one was Newcastle United). But my role is clear: I am the substitute, the second goalkeeper.

This means that I can only show my abilities in training. After that, it was very difficult to convince the coach to let me play. In the summer of 2024, I did not receive any suitable offers. By October, I had accepted that there would be no new owner for the time being.

What did you do during that time?

Besides professional football, I have always had many interests and hobbies. I spend a lot of my free time with my family and also find time to pursue other interests. In the meantime, I keep training to stay in shape. Nonetheless, these experiences were all new to me because I was no longer bound by the team’s strict training schedule and could freely manage my own time.

Until Schalke 04 contacted me. That’s right, January. Starting in December, I started high-intensity training again, focusing on specific training in football skills to prepare for the winter transfer.

I don’t want the transfer to fail because of my poor condition, and I don’t want to blame myself for it. But I'm not the kind of person who clings to anything. And I must say: if Schalke 04 had not contacted me, I would have ended my career long ago.

So, it's really gratifying that things are going well here now. This club has brought me joy from the beginning and has given me a lot.

Do you want to end your career here?

I probably won't sign too many contracts anymore. I feel like home at Schalke. When my contract expires, I will be 34 years old. We will discuss each other's expectations at that time. I'm very relaxed about it.